Improvement in mercury baths for dagu erreotyping



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN UPTON, OF BATH, MAINE.

IM'PRVEMENT IN MERCURY BATHS FOR DAGUERREOTYPING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 9,666, dated April 12, 1853.

To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN UPTON,of Bath,in the county of Sagadahoe and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Mercury Bath Used in the Daguerreotype Process or in the Regulation of the Heat Thereof; and I do hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, letters, figures, and references thereof.

In the said drawings, Figure l denotes a front elevation, Fig. 2 a central vertical and longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section, of a mercurial bath fitted with my improvement.

In the said drawings, A represents a castiron bottom formed with ends a Z9 vertical and its sides c .'Z sloping toward one another and standing at an obtuse angle, as seen in the drawings, the same being to enable them to more readily expand by and receive the heat of the lamp than would take place were the bottom made in one plane. A Wooden rectangular frame or box Bis secured to the bottom A with a close joint, the said frame or box being open at top. At each end of thek bottom A is an extension or cast-iron proj ection u or o. The projection u is drilled with a screw-hole and receives a screw c, by which it is confined down upon the top of the wooden stand C. From the other projection a knifeedge lip CZ extends downward and into a recess or notch e made in the upper side and near one end of a rod F, that has another notch or recess f formed on its under side and under the rst. This latter recess rests on a knife-edge or lip g, made to extend upward from the top of the stand or frame C. An aperture 7L is made through the top of the stand C for the flame of a lamp E to pass up against or reach the bottom A and for the metallic rod or lever F to extend to the lamp. A movable platform G is fastened at one end by hinges to the stand C, and it has a screw K extended down through it near its other end, the screw being for the purpose of regulating the height of the platform or the distance of the wick-tube of the lamp from the bottom A. The spirit-lamp E is placed on the said platform and has a tube Z made to surround or be concentric with and to play freely up or down on its wick-tubem. This tube is suspended by a hook fn to the inner end of the lever F; or it may be suitably jointed to the same. The lamp being properly l'illed and its wick trimmed and inflamed is placed underneath the bath and has its slide-tube Z applied to the lever F. The elevation of the lamp is regulated by the screw K, the iiame being brought to bear about at the center of the metallic bottom A. The heat received by the bottom A and the mercury in the bath will cause the bottom to expand lengthwise, and thereby press the upper knife edge against the outer side of the upper notch of the lever F and so as to tilt or cause the inner arm or part of the lever to rise upward and lift the slide-tube Z on the wick and diminish the liame in or about in proportion to the extent of such elevation. Should any sudden current of air reach the bath or any diminution of the heat take place, a contraction of the bottom will follow, which will cause a depression of the lever F and the tube Z, whereby the flame will be increased.

After a little practice with my apparatus the mercury bath may bemaintained by it at a proper or even temperature, such as will much abridge the labor and time or attention usually required to be given to the mercurializing a daguerreotype-plate by the ordinary bath or process heretofore generally adopted. The plate on which the picture is to be brought out by exposure to the fumes of mercury placed in the bath is placed over and made to cover the top of the bath, and so complete is the action of my apparatus that it will generally be unnecessary to even raise the picture and examine it during the mercurializing process, so perfectly regular does such take place. It is not pretended that perfect regularity or equality in the evaporation of the mercury is obtained; but it is sufficiently produced for all practical purposes, and to such degree as to enable me by the use of my apparatus to effect much saving of time and labor in the process of producing daguerreotype pictures.

The above-described improvement of,com bining with the mercury bath and the lamp for heating it the sliding tube Z and the lever F, or their mechanical equivalents, as deseribed, so that by the expansion of the bath the lever nifty be moved so as to elevate the slide-tube on the Wick, and thereby decrease the Haine of the lamp and the heat thereof or caused so to not as to maintain or nearly maint-Lin equality of evaporation, in the manner and for the purpose as specified.

In testimony whereof have hereto set my signature this 18th day 0f Mareh,A. D. 1853.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN UITON NVitnesses:

EDW. H. MAGOUN, REUBEN SAWYER. 

